Once the weekend rolls around I always feel like I am itching to get out of the house. I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to clean – I just want to be surrounded by people who don’t talk in a baby voice, get some fresh air and some good food.

One of the main reasons I love living in Chicago is that we are steps away from everything we could ever need. Restaurants, shops, cafes, speciality stores – literally everything. This city prides itself on small businesses. Whether it is the local mom and pop coffee shop, our favorite Mexican restaurant that is owned by the cutest family or the local jazz bar that has been here forever. There are always new spots popping up and my list of places to try or visit grows by the day. A few of our rotating neighborhood favorites are: Sweet Mandy B’s for sweets, Monograms on Webster for cute custom sweaters and winter hats for kids, Homeslice for yummy pizza and cozy vibes, Toast for weekend brunch, Interior Define for furniture, Monica & Andy for baby clothes and Charlie’s favorite music class and Art Effect for women’s fashion and accessories.

I’m excited to be working with American Express to celebrate the small businesses that I love. From now until the end of the year when you use an eligible American Express card you can get TWO TIMES the rewards when you shop at qualifying small merchants (see if your local favorites qualify here). We use our Amex Blue Cash Everyday card for everything so this is an amazing reward period to take advantage of. If you haven’t enrolled in this offer yet, you can enroll for an eligible American Express card here (so many perks!). Plus, you can help support your favorite small businesses even more with this incentive! I can’t wait to highlight my favorite stores in the months to come, especially around the holidays.